Spring-wheel.



Gr. W. GRAVES, M. MOGOLLMAN 61A.- P. GIBSON. SPRING WHEEL.

' APPLICATION-BLED 111111.10, 1913.

1,093,124. Patented Apr. 14, 1914.

Attorneys COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO AVA$H1NUTON, D. 0.

GEORGE W. GRAVES, MOSLEY MCCOLLMAN, AND ALEXANDER P. GIBSON, 0F

ALDERSON, WEST VIRGINI noeeaea.

I '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE W. GRAVES, MOsLEY MoOoLLMAN, and ALEXANDERP. GIBsoN, citizens of the United States, residing at Alderson, in thecounty of Monroe, State of West Virginia, have invented a new and usefulSpring-YVheel, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention appertains to vehicle wheels, and aims to providea novel and improved tire for vehicle wheels, which shall be capable ofsupplanting the ordinary pneumatic tire, which shall have the goodcharacteristics and qualities of said tires, and which shall alsoeliminate the objectionable qualities thereof.

It is the object of the presentinvention to provide a spring wheel, thetire of which is adapted to yield in various directions in the plane ofthe wheel, so as to give both vertical and oscillatory relief, but whichshall not be liable to be displaced laterally, the tire being capable ofquick recovery from its various vertical and oscillatory displacementsdue to the conditions to which the wheel is subject in use.

It is the further object of the present invention to provide incombination with the telly of the wheel, and a tire spaced therefrom, anovel yielding or spring structure between the felly and tire permittingthe tire and telly to yield in various directions in the plane of thewheel, in connection with means for closing the space between the tellyand tire and for constraining the tire against lateral displacement, andat thesame time permitting the tire to yield as above indicated.

With the foregoing general objects outlined, and other objects in viewwhich will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides inthe combination and arrangement of parts and in the details ofconstruction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood thatchanges in the precise embodiment of invention herein dis; closed can bemade within the scope of what is claimed without departing from thespirit of the invention.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wheel embodying thepresent invention, parts being broken away, and parts being shown insections. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring specifically to the drawing, it

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 10, 1913.

Patented Apr. 14., mile. Serial No. 753,402.

being understood that this invention is applicable to various vehiclewheels and the like, such as automobile wheels, bicycle and motorcyclewheels, the wheel proper embodies the usual hub 3, the spokes atradiating therefrom and the telly 5 secured to the outer ends of thespokes, the particular construction of the same being of no moment. Itis preferable to provide a band or rim 6 embracing the telly.

In carrying out the present invention, the tire, or what may be termedthe outer rim, is spaced from the telly, or is normally concentrictherewith, this tire or outer rim being preferably constructed of metal.This tire is preferably provided with a rubber or other resilient treadfor deadening the noise when the wheel traverses pavements or other hardsurfaces. As seen in Fig. 2, the tire 7 is provided with acircumferential channel or groove to receive the rubber tread 8, this being arbitrary.

To the inner side of the tire 7 are secured a series or plurality ofequally spaced blocks or bearings 9, which project inwardly, and

to which are pivoted the arms or rods 10,

these arms passing slidably through guides 11 secured to the peripheryof the felly intermediate the bearings. The bearings 9 are disposedtransversely of the tire, and terminate short of the edges of the tire,the bearings being provided with flanges 12 along their sides, which areriveted or otherwise secured tothe tire, so that the bearings projectinwardly and are substantial or rigid with the tire. The guides 11 areflat or weblike and are provided with flanges 13 along their sides,these flanges being riveted or otherwise secured to the inner rim 6. Theguides 11 are disposed transversely of the telly and have their freeedges projecting radially therefrom. Each bearing 9 is pro-- vided witha pair of spaced open slots or re cesses 15 and a pair of arms 10 arepivoted to each bearing, said arms being provided with eyes 14 at theirinner ends disposed in the slots 15, and a pivot pin 16 being passedthrough the bearing and eyes 14. The guides 11 are provided with a pairof spaced slots or elongated openings 17 through which the arms 10 pass,so as to permit the arms to swing slightly in connection with theirsliding movements through the guides. arms of each pair project inopposite directions away from each other, it being noted The , primarilyto that the arms are disposed in chordal positions between the telly andtire, and that the complementary arms pass through the intermediateguide, so that all of the arms at one side project similarly while theother arms project in the opposite directions or approximately so. 7

A nut, or other equivalent member 18 is screw threaded oradjustablymounted on the tree end of each arm or rod 10, and a coiled wire spring19 is disposed on each rod between the nut and the respective guide 11these springs 19, permitting the telly and tire to oscillate relative toeach other, to give relief to the tire as the vehicle is. stopped,started, or accelerated in its movement, and serving to provide thequick recovery ot the tire. Although these springs are provided permitoscillatory reliet, they also assist in the recovery of the wheel, afterthe tire has been relieved vertically.

Intermediate the bearings 9, there are secured to the inner side ot thetire or outer rim, a plurality or series ot U-shaped yokes 20, theyokeshaving their intermediate portions riveted or otherwise secured to thetire or outer rim so that their arms or ends project inwardly, and saidyokes being tashioned trom fiat strips or plates ot metal. These yokesare secured to the tire opposite the guides 11, the ends of the guidesbeing snugly slidable against the arms or ends ot the yoke, so that theguides may reciprocate and oscillate within the yokes without. therebeing a lateral displacement ot either.

Between the bearings 9 and the telly or inner rim, are disposed coiledwire springs 21, while between the guides 11 and the tire or the yokesare disposed coiled wire springs 22, the said springs being primarilyadapted to give vertical'reliet to the tire, and to provide quick,vertical recovery, although they permit oscillatory reliet also. Theends of the springs 21 and 22 are preferably secured to the respectiveparts against which they rest in any well known manner.

In order to inclose the above described structure between the telly andthe tire, and in order to assist in constraining the tire, againstlateral displacement, a pair of fiat rings or annular plates 23have beendisposed at the respective sides ot the wheel,

these plates or rings abutting against the respective ends ot thebearmgs 9 and the yokes, and havmg their inner edges slidably engagingthe sides of the telly. The rings 23 are riveted or otherwise secured tothe arms or ends of the yokes, and the pins 16 protrude through and arepreferably riveted to the rings, so that the rings are rigidly se-,cured to the bearings andyokes and are in this manner fastened to thetire. Thus, the inner edges of the rings slidably engage the respectivesides of the telly, and constrain the tire against lateral displacement,but permit the tire to reciprocate and oscillate in various directionsin the plane otthe wheel.

In order to prevent ingress 0t dustand other extraneous matter into thespace between the tire and telly a packing ring 24C has been embedded ineach side of the telly to contact with the inner tace ot the respectivering 23, these packings also serving to prevent egress orleakage ot oilor other lubricant from within the space between the telly and the tire.

Any suitable means may be provided tor oiling the several-parts, suchasis denoted generally by the numeral25 in Fig. 1 the same beingattachedto one ot the rings 23, in order that oil or other lubricant canbe introduced. This oiling device, however, may be disposed at anysuitable point.

From the toregoing, taken in connection with the drawing, it will bemanitest that the'wheel and tire theretor. as thus. provided are capableof practical use, the wheel being so constructed as to permit ofvertical and oscillatory relietwith quick recovery. The presentinvention also provides a suitable substitute tor the ordinary pneumatictire, andprovides a desirable and efiicient device ot the characterindicated.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. In a spring wheel, a spaced telly and tire, inwardly projectingtransverse bearing blocks secured to thetire, and each having apluralityof slots, transversewebs secured to the telly intermediate the bearingblocks, the webs projecting outwardly and each having a plurality otapertures, side rings between the telly and tire, pins engaged throughthe bearing blocks and: terminally rivetedthrough the side rings, aplurality of chordal arms pivoted to each pin within the respectiveslots of the bearing blocks, the arms; passing slidably throughtheapertures: of the webs, and-projecting in oppo site directions, andsprings disposedbetween the webs and arms.

2. In. a spring wheel, a spaced telly and plane of the wheel, inwardlyprojecting members secured to the tire intermediate the U-shapedmembers, yielding connections between the telly members and the lastmentioned tire members, and side rings secured to the arms oftheU-shaped members and slidably engaging the respective sides of thetelly.

3. In a spring wheel, spaced telly and tire, U-shaped' members securedtoone of the said parts with their v arms 'projecting' toward the otherpart, guides secured to the last mentioned part and fitting slida-blybetween the arms of the U-shaped members, side rings secured to the armsof the U- shaped members and slidably engaging the respective sides ofthe last mentioned part, pins terminally riveted through the ringsintermediate the U-shaped members, arms pivoted to the pins and slidableloosely through the guides, and springs disposed between the guides andarms.

4:. In a spring wheel, a spaced felly and tire, U-shaped members securedto the tire with their arms projecting inwardly, outwardly projectingguides secured to the telly and fitting slidably between the arms of therespective U-shaped members, bearing blocks secured to the tireintermediate the U shaped members, pins engaged through the bearingblocks, side rings secured to the arms of the U-shaped members andoverlapping the sides of the telly, said pins having their terminalsriveted through the rings, arms pivoted to the said pins and slidableloosely through the guides, and springs disposed between the guides andarms,

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have heretoafiixed our signatures in the presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE W. GRAVES. MOSLEY MOCOLLMAN. ALEXANDER P. GIBSON.

Witnesses:

WV. J. HANCOCK, HARRY THOMPSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of latents,

Washington, D. G.

